An International Graduate: The Disappointing Dream

On the 11th of July, I was due to be graduating with an MSc in Business Management. I am Moroccan and I have had a Moroccan public education for most of my life up until high school, where I graduated with a somewhat embarrassing score. A lot of public Moroccan universities would not accept me. Thus, I looked outside the box and found an affiliate university that provided a British education with a Cardiff Metropolitan degree from the comfort of your own country.

I persevered and surprisingly enough, I did quite well. I managed to graduate my Bachelors with a first-class honor and from then on I fell in love with the British education system. The amount of self-teaching that is required was very accommodating to my learning abilities. Therefore, I decided to apply for a Masters in the UK to experience both the country and culture first hand.

Let me exaggerate one main aspect of coming to the United Kingdom as an international student, IT IS EXPENSIVE! My family and I had to miraculously come up with over £40,000 in a matter of six months. I worked every job imaginable to get hold of cash, my mother took out loans and my father rented our apartment on a long-term basis, risking losing it all together.

Eventually my dream did come true, I held my passport that contained my visa and with it my dream of a new vibrant life in the UK, I packed my bags (6 to be exact) and embarked on my journey to Newcastle Upon Tyne where I will be attending Northumbria university for an MSc in Marketing. I had never heard of Newcastle nor did I have any friends or relatives to count on in England. I was basically dropped into a new world and had to take the matter into my own hands.

My journey throughout my two-year program was not easy, it was very difficult to adjust and to survive in England. However, that is a story for another day.

I managed to get an internship in my second year with a multinational that specialized in communications, I worked very hard delivered all that was required and more, at the end of it I was out, simple and fair right? No, not right; up to this point I was still under the sponsorship of my university and I still am, without a new sponsorship I am unable to remain in the country.

Up until today, I counted six months of applications and CV reviews, I hold two degrees, I can speak seven languages and I have over two years of experience in various industries. I have been on every workshop, knocked on every door and asked every outlet: How can I get a job as an international in the UK?

The answer is, you cannot! The government insists on making it hell on earth while hiring an international, once an employer hears the word sponsor, your chances as an applicant will automatically decrease. Companies prefer to hire a less experienced individual who has national or permanent residence status than to sponsor a qualified international.

This brings me to now, I have exactly 14 weeks left in the United Kingdom before my visa expires and I will be forced to return to my home country, where my skills will not be valued and I will be disappointing both myself, my family, and my partner.

It feels truly devastating to see your money, efforts, and dreams shatter just because you are not British. I came to the UK with hope, and the willingness to succeed with whatever it takes. I will leave the UK with depression, fear, and a disappointment That I will never be able to fix.